December 20, 2021
Pilot program for fully circular ecobuckets has started in Poland 
Henkel partners with Jokey and Akpol to drive circular economy initiatives in construction

Düsseldorf – Henkel has announced a partnership with Jokey, a leading manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging based in Germany, and with Akpol, a Polish specialist for plastic recycling. The three companies aim to build an ecosystem to drive progress towards a circular economy in the construction sector. As a starting point, the partners are already engaged in a pilot program to create fully recycled and circular ecobuckets for Henkel´s construction products in Poland.

“Henkel has a longstanding proven track-record in sustainability, and we are deeply committed to drive progress towards a circular economy across industries. In our construction business we are constantly striving for a sustainable future. We invest and partner to develop energy efficient solutions as well as sustainable construction materials, with focus on the three key areas of CO2-reduction, safe homes and circular economy,” explained Adrian Orbea, Corporate Director Global Marketing, Digitalization and Sustainability for the construction business at Henkel. “As part of our engagement for this last pillar we are now launching new sustainable packaging that are fully recyclable, as well as maximizing the share of recycled content inside the packaging.”

“Today, in the construction industry, packaging plays a big role in contributing towards construction waste. To recycle the packaging material which contains construction materials is a huge challenge around the globe, and it needs strong partnerships to foster new solutions. Together with Jokey and Akpol we aim to promote recycling initiatives and programs in Europe”, added Sai Seshasai, project leader and Global Head of Sustainability for the construction business at Henkel.  

"For us, this project is significant in several ways," emphasizes Lukas Heller, Key Account Manager at Jokey. “We launched the first buckets made from post-consumer recyclates back in 1991 – for our customer Henkel. At that time, these were regarded as dreary ‘eco-buckets'.  Today, however, they are seen as a clear statement for the circular economy. This is precisely what our successful ‘Grey is the New Green’ campaign aims to achieve. We are, therefore, delighted that this renewed collaboration closes the circle in two respects: on the one hand, with regard to our early shared sustainability ambitions, and on the other, with regard to a plastic circular economy."

“We are very pleased to be able to take part in this project together with Henkel and Jokey. We will recycle the waste buckets that we receive and produce pure post-consumer resins of polypropylene which will be used for producing recycled buckets. Closing the loop is a good solution for all parties, especially for the environment”, said Rafal Topolski, Regranulates Sales Manager at Akpol.

The three companies have already teamed-up earlier this year to define and create a pilot program for circular buckets of Henkel products under the well-known Ceresit brand in Poland. The buckets are collected by Henkel´s distributors “B plus B” across local construction sites and shipped to Akpol. The recycling specialist mechanically recycles the buckets and produces high-quality post-consumer resins (PCR) out of them. Jokey in Poland finally produces new ecobuckets for Henkel based on 100 percent recycled materials. The partners aim to collect and re-process about 1.000 kilogram of empty buckets until end of this year.

About Henkel
Henkel operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies. Henkel Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the adhesives market – across all industry segments worldwide. In its Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses, Henkel holds leading positions in many markets and categories around the world. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 140 years of success. In 2020, Henkel reported sales of more than 19 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of about 2.6 billion euros. Henkel employs about 53,000 people globally – a passionate and highly diverse team, united by a strong company culture and shared values. As a recognized leader in sustainability, Henkel holds top positions in many international indices and rankings. Henkel’s preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. For more information, please visit www.henkel.com.

About Jokey
The Jokey Group is a company in the plastics processing industry. For 50 years, the name Jokey has stood for high expertise in plastic injection molding and customer-oriented service. With 2,200 employees, the group of companies produces in 15 plants in 12 countries and supplies customers in around 80 countries. Its own toolmaking company, a business unit for technical plastic parts and for bathroom furniture round off its plastics expertise. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Wipperfürth, Germany, the company is managed by the second and third generations of the Kemmerich family. The Jokey Eco Concept is based on extensive research, development and experience. In the packaging sector, it has long met the high demands for recyclability, functionality and sustainable design. https://www.jokey.com/en/ 

About Akpol
Founded in 2005, AKPOL is a specialist for plastic recycling and a pioneer in the production of high-quality PP, HDPE and LDPE regranulates. It has been the first company in Poland which implemented automatic segregation into the plastic waste recycling process and, in addition, utilizes a technology to reduce the odour and volatile substances of its products. By giving new life to post-consumer plastic waste, AKPOL successfully implements the company mission: taking care for the environment and promoting ecological solutions across industries. These achievements are confirmed by the certificate EUCERTPLAST. Today, AKPOL employs about 300 employees and recycles more than 60,000 tons of post-consumer plastic waste annually. For more information, please visit https://akpolrecykling.pl/en

Photo material is available at www.henkel.com/press

Contact	Sebastian Hinz	
Phone	+49 211 797-85 94	
Email	sebastian.hinz@henkel.com	

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
In collaboration with Jokey and Akpol Henkel has started a pilot program for circular ecobuckets in Poland.